60th Anniversary of Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961

With courtesy of The Straits Times published on 24 May, 2021 to remind Singaporeans the Bukit Ho Swee for 60 years ago here .

 

The earlier Bukit Ho Swee fire happened when Singapore was then a British colony.  The decision of the People's Action Party government was very different from the British government's decisions.

 

After those earlier fire, the Bukit Ho Swee residents were allowed them to return to the kampong to build their own houses with wooden planks, attap or zinc roofs.

The Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961, the government of independent Singapore acquired the land to develop the fire sites to build infra-structure, build more schools, preschools, nurseries, clinics and hospitals, public transport, improve the country's economy for overseas investment ventures which create more jobs for Singaporeans.

There were  gardens, parks and playgrounds for children to play games.  Swimming pools and open spaces to fly kites.

After independence, the Singapore constitutions were exercised in Parliaments to introduce new ways for law and orders.

The fire victims have suffered through hardship to adapt to the changes in Singapore for the education of young generations to find better jobs and earn better pay for the improvements  of Singapore is worthwhile.  

The HDB resettlement department  changed and planned the new housing estates in Singapore.  These are known as precints to plan and develop.

Every housing estate develop the schools, clinics, sports stadiums for recreation, bus interchange and MRT station for public transport.

Looking back 60 years in Bukit Ho Swee and other kampongs in Singapore.

In the past, there was no laws for use of public land, there was illegal pirate taxis, illegal pedler hawkers in the streets, illegal parking for vehicles.

Over the decades, hawkers were licensed to ensure safety of food, licensed taxi drivers and jobs in buses and MRT, parking tickets by HDB and URA.

The citizens are better disciplined and importance of law orders.

Introduction of national service for 18 years-old citizens to prevent youngsters to join traid societies to become gangsters.  They are trained to learn useful jobs and they learn the importance of law and orders.

Community in every constituency and able-bodied Singapoeans to volunteer to help and protect the country to be safe and secure.

A letter to the editor of The Singapore Free Press on 6 June, 1961, the unnamed author wrote:  "We must not have another Bukit Ho Swee."

This is indeed a blessing for the Bukit Ho Swee fire victims for 60 years.

The nostalgic photos shared on this blog with thanks and courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore.

With courtesy of Channel News Asia to share the documents of "Days of Disaster - Bukit Ho Swee fire here and Suria Channel Terbit 03 - Bukit Ho Swee and Tiong Bahru Area fires (in Malay with English Subtitles) here . 

Please watch these videos to learn more about the Bukit Ho Swee fire which happened in Singapore 60 years ago on 25 May 1961.